


Holiday Prompts

by Night_Hawk94 (orphan_account)



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), bughead - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas Fluff, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Jughead ‘rescues’ Betty ;), Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating will change, holiday themed, prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:20:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22090198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Night_Hawk94
Summary: A collection of prompts and drabbles centred around Christmas and New Years.
Relationships: Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 25
Kudos: 86
Collections: Home for the HoliDale





	Holiday Prompts

**Author's Note:**

> Betty slips on some ice and a kind stranger with amazing eyes lends a hand. 
> 
> Enjoy Xx

Anyone who knew Betty Cooper knew that she loved Christmas.

Every year, it was the holiday she always looked forward to the most. All the traditions. The festivities. Even the chilly weather. She adored and welcomed it all.

She also loved the solitude that came with time of the year, taking every opportunity she could to stay at home and do some of the things she enjoyed the most.

To some, baking cakes and biscuits, watching movies all day and reading books while curled up on the couch would probably sound really boring.

But not to her.

If anything, that was time well spent.

With only three days left until Christmas arrived, Betty had done everything she needed to do well ahead of schedule. All the presents had been bought and wrapped. The coming week planned out almost entirely.

She had no intention of doing anything except relax and enjoy some much needed alone time.

But of course, her vivacious roommate and long time best friend; Veronica Lodge could always be counted upon to throw a spanner in the works.

“Okay that’s it, I have to stop this right now!”

Betty sighed quietly before she reluctantly tore her eyes away from the book she was reading and looked at her friend, her lips curling into a knowing smile. Well aware of where this conversation was going to go.

“Stop what?”

“This!” Veronica said, gesturing around herself wildly, “I’m sorry, B - But I’m not letting you do this again. You’re not becoming some hermit who lives on the couch, bakes things and never leaves this apartment!”

“V, you know -“

“- Yes, I know,” Veronica interrupted quickly, “I’m aware that it’s one of your long standing traditions or whatever, but it’s also Christmas. You can’t spend this time of the year hidden away from the world behind a book!”

It was a valid point, one that Betty couldn’t exactly deny, but it was also the biggest difference between them.

She was a homebody. Her raven haired friend clearly was not.

It was that simple.

It was also something Betty had come to expect. Every year it was the same. Nothing changed.

Still, even she had to admit that this reaction was a lot more intense than it had ever been before, enough to make her wonder if there was some kind of ulterior motive behind it all.

Whatever it was, it wouldn’t work.

“Look I appreciate the concern V, but to be honest, the last thing I feel like doing today is third wheeling with you and Archie.” 

“Okay ... fair enough,” Veronica paused for a second then, her lips tilting up into a smirk, “But what if I told you that you wouldn’t be?”

Betty’s eyes narrowed immediately.

_Oh no._

After more than a decade of friendship, reading Veronica wasn’t hard in slightest. The type of smile she used. The look in her eyes. The tone of her voice. It could all indicate something different, depending on the situation.

What she saw now made an uncomfortable knot form in the pit of her stomach.

She’d seen that look - that smile - heard that mischievous tone way too many times before. Enough to know exactly what it meant.

“You didn’t -“

“ - Listen, before you get upset, just let me explain. Archie got us all tickets to the light show and his friend, well ... he really wants to meet you.”

Betty let out a loud groan, dropping her head into her hands. “Oh my god, you did!”

“I did and, honestly, I think it’ll be the best thing that’s happened to you this whole year,” Veronica said with a sly smile, “You need a hottie in your life, B and, to be blunt, that’s exactly what Reggie is. Besides I’ve met him. He isn’t that bad.”

Betty scoffed into her palms.

She seriously doubted that.

She was overjoyed that Veronica had found Archie and that they both made each very happy.

She really was.

She even considered the sweet red head to be a friend by now.

Her friend deserved nothing better than what she had with him, but for her, beefcake with a heart of gold or worse with an oversized ego, just wasn’t her type at all.

Normally Betty would’ve put her foot down and said something along the lines of “There’s no way I’m doing this”, but when she lifted her head and saw the pleading look on her friend’s face, she felt her resolve cave in. Her need to make other people happy winning out in the end.

“Alright fine, I’ll -“

Veronica was on her in a matter of seconds, squealing and throwing her arms around her in a back breaking kind of hug.

“Yes, Thank you, B ... Thank you! I promise you’re going to love this!”

Despite having the wind knocked out of her, Betty managed to giggle softly as she hugged her friend back. 

She sighed, but found herself smiling as well - finally relenting to the idea.

She was probably going to regret this.

Of that much she was certain.

~~~

_She regretted it._

_Oh boy did she regret it!_

Not so much the light show. Betty actually enjoyed that part. Having been wrapped up in her own little bubble, she’d almost forgotten how nice it could be to do stuff like this.

Drinking hot chocolate, eating freshly roasted chestnuts and being surrounded by friends, doing something fun together definitely had an appeal all of its own.

The only weak link she could find came in the form of Reggie Mantle.

For one, he didn’t have Archie’s slightly dim, yet lovable nature like she’d been hoping. At least it would’ve made things easier.

In fact, from the moment Veronica introduced her to him, Betty got an immediate sense of what kind of guy he was based on the fact that he spent more time staring at her breasts than at her actual face.

Beyond his good looks, she supposed that he had to have some kind of allure. Perhaps girls found his loud and crass behavior amusing.

His arrogance - his brazen attitude certainly didn’t do anything for her and after suffering through almost two hours of it Betty was ready to run all the way back to the refuge of her apartment.

And she probably would’ve if Archie hadn’t suggested they all go ice skating.

_Right ... Of course he had to suggest that._

“Oh my gosh, that’s a great idea, Archiekins!” Veronica said with a glowing smile, linking her arm with his before she looked at Betty and Reggie, “What do you say, guys? You up for some ice skating?”

“Oh hell yeah!” Reggie smirked at the idea immediately, radiating with excessive pride once more, “If I wasn’t playing ice hockey I was skating circles around the people back in my home town. So I’m definitely in!”

Betty sighed dejectedly under her breath, somehow resisting the urge she had to roll her eyes at his pathetic boasting for the billionth time in the last two hours.

_Seriously, how the hell could her friend think that this ... moron would be a good match for her?_

Still she plastered on the best smile she could manage and agreed to tag along as well.

“That’s the spirit, Coop!” Reggie said, giving her an overly enthusiastic clap on the back, “And don’t worry, if you can’t skate that well I’ll be more than happy to give you some private lessons.”

When he winked at her, Betty felt herself shrivel up and die on the inside. She almost gagged. She couldn’t imagine anything worse. 

_Oh yeah ... Veronica was going to owe her bigafter this._

Feeling miserable, Betty watched as her two friends and Reggie headed down the sidewalk together, a part of her wondering how long it would take for them to notice if she quickly sneaked away now.

She was still staring when Reggie turned his head and looked at her again, smirking with pure arrogance. Almost as if he believed she was enamored by him or something.

Betty cringed at the thought. _She definitely was not._

“Ugh ... Why the hell do I always get myself into these situations?” 

With no choice left but to follow after them, Betty took a step forward, only to gasp with a jolt of fear when her feet suddenly gave way and she slipped, landing hard on the cold, slush covered ground beneath her.

”Shit ...” She muttered immediately, clenching her jaw in pure agony.

_Of course she had to slip and in public no less ... what else could possibly go wrong today?_

Rubbing the side of her head gently, Betty let out a sigh and sat up slowly, still trying to get her bearings straight when she heard footsteps coming towards her.

“Hey, are you okay?”

When she lifted her head, she wasn’t shocked to see a total stranger leaning over her. She’d been expecting as much.

What she hadn’t been expecting though was that he would be absurdly attractive.

The first thing she noticed about him were his eyes simply because it was impossible not too.

They were blue. A deep, mesmerizing shade of blue that she was sure she had never seen before, the sight leaving her completely transfixed.

_What kind of blue was that anyway?_

_Some kind of azure maybe?_

“Well uh ... to tell your the truth, I’m not quite sure myself.”

Betty froze as soon as she heard him speak.

_Oh god did ... did she just say that out loud?_

When his lips tugged into a crooked smile a beat later, Betty got her answer, warm blood rushing to her cheeks in a matter of seconds.

“I - I’m sorry,” She stuttered, “I ... I don’t know why I -“

“It’s alright,” He said around a soft chuckle, the kind that made her stomach twist with knots, “Guess they didn’t put enough salt down or something. Here let me help you up.”

Stunned, Betty stared at his hand when he offered it to her, hesitating for only a moment before she gingerly reached out and took it. He helped to her feet then, keeping her steady until - like the clumsy idiot she was - she lost her footing once again and fell forward, colliding with him this time.

“Whoa, hold on ... I’ve got you!” One of his arms wrapped around her waist immediately, pulling her towards him and away from the slippery surface. 

Breathing heavily and still clutching fistfuls of his sweater in her hands, Betty blinked with surprise when she noticed how close they were standing to each other now.

She swallowed thickly as she took him in, his tousled black hair and striking features leaving her just as breathless as she had been earlier.

_My god ... she’d never seen someone so attractive before in her entire life._

_Never. Not once._

When their eyes met again, Betty felt her heart squeeze, pounding relentlessly against her rib cage when he grinned at her broadly.

“You okay?” He asked, sounding a little out of breath himself. Unable to do much else, she nodded, giving him a shaky smile when he searched her face carefully.

Satisfied with her answer, he lifted his hand next, gently tracing his fingers over the tender spot on the side of her head, “And How does this feel? Do you have a headache or feel disorientated at all.”

“N-no,” Betty shook her head, his soft touch somehow elevating the dull throbbing she felt even more, “I think I’m alright ...”

“Good,” He murmured, his lips pulling into a warm smile when she gave him one of her own, “That’s good.”

Technically it was a lie.

She did feel a little out of it still, but for an entirely different reason.

One solely involving him.

Realising that he still had his arm snaked around her securely, the stranger cleared his throat and immediately let her go, stepping back a little.

“Um ... sorry.” He apologised, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to hide the blush that stained his skin now.

“Oh um ... that’s alright.” Though she wouldn’t admit it, she missed the natural heat coming off his body, suddenly feeling a little exposed without it.

As if on cue, Betty shivered and wrapped her arms around her torso, shielding herself from the cold wind whipping at her now damp clothes.

She sighed through chattering teeth.

_Yup, yet another reason why she tried to avoidbeing outside a lot this time of year._

“God, you must be freezing. Here take this.” The stranger shrugged off the sherpa jacket he had on at once, carefully draping it over her shoulders.

It was far too big for her, but Betty’s lips curled into a smile nonetheless, grateful for the sweet gesture.

“Thank you,” She mumbled, “For this and for um ... helping me earlier.”

She slipped her arms into the appropriate holes and snuggled in then, his lingering scent and warmth flooding right through her.

“Huh, it looks good on you.” He was already staring at her when she met and held his gaze again, making her flush.

_God ... those eyes._

Betty felt herself wilt under the shear intensity of them, unable to believe that anyone would ever look at her that way. Especially someone she’d just met.

Or more specifically ... someone like _him._

“You know, if you’re looking for a place to warm up somewhere, I know this cafe that’s just around the corner. They make the best white hot chocolate in the city and they have these amazing pastries ...” He trailed off then, suddenly losing confidence in the idea.

“And?” She pressed gently, curious to hear what he was going say even though she had a fairly good idea already.

“And well,” He paused briefly, shifting on the balls of his feet, “I’d like to um ...take you there, if you’re up for it.”

Even though Betty had seen it coming, the offer still surprised her.

A stranger. A total stranger was offering to take her somewhere for no other reason than because he felt sorry for her.

She swallowed noticeably. It was crazy to even think about.

Of course, it could also be that he was maybe fascinated or even attracted to her. It wasn’t impossible after all, but somehow, she doubted that was the case.

“Y-you want me to come with you?”

“Yeah,” He dipped his hands into his pockets and smirked slightly, watching her with what she recognized as hope in his eyes, “I swear I’m not some creep or anything, I was already on my way there, but I’d ... I’d like it if you came along to ah ... make up for what happened to you here.”

“Oh ...” _Was ... was he really asking her out?_

Despite the randomness of the entire situation Betty’s lips tilted up into a smile.

It was no secret that her love life was nothing short of miserable. She either attracted guys who weren’t her type at all or liked guys who didn’t feel the same way or were completely oblivious. There was no in-between.

_This though._ An extremely attractive man, who ticked all of her boxes, making a move on her?

That had never happened to her before. Ever.

Not quite sure how to respond, Betty gnawed on her lower lip and tripped over her thoughts, trying to think to the right thing to say when she heard her phone ping a few times.

It was Veronica, wondering where she was.

_V: Where are you?_

_V: Did something happen?_

_V: Should I send Reggie to come and get you? ;)_

Betty grimaced at the last one, feeling her stomach churn at the thought.

_God no ... That was the last thing she wanted!_

Suddenly her decision was a lot easier to make. Would she rather spend the rest of the afternoon with Reggie or a kind and sexy stranger?

She chose the latter.

Completely out of character or not, it wasn’t a hard choice at all.

“Um, I’m sorry ... just give me one second, okay?” Betty said, giving him a reassuring smile when he looked a little worried.

He nodded and she turned away, quickly typing back a reply.

_B: Okay so don’t be mad .... but this guy I met asked if I wanted to go get some coffee with him. Is it alright if catch up with you guys later?_

She hit send, giggling to herself when she realised how crazy that text would probably sound to anyone who knew her.

After all, Betty Cooper would never do anything like this, right?

_V: Oooh ... Is he cute? ;)_

Betty glanced at the stranger again, holding her breath when she saw him run his fingers through his inky black curls, his eyes fixed on something in the distance now. 

She swallowed thickly the longer she stared.

_Cute didn’t do him justice._

_B: Maybe a little ..._

_V: Yessss B!!!! Okay I’ll make up an excuse, but just so you know, I’m expecting to hear all the details tonight as payment!!_

Betty rolled her eyes. _Naturally._

_B: Of course ... Thanks V, I’ll see you later._

He was already facing her when she turned around again, light blue eyes meeting her sea green ones.

“Was that your boyfriend?” He asked, his voice sounding soft. Almost nervous, like he was ready to be rejected.

Betty shook her head and grinned at him broadly. “Nope, a good friend of mine. I was just letting her know that I’ll catch up with her later.”

“Oh, is that so?” He smirked, taking a step forward. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ then?”

She nodded, her cheeks warming when he let out a soft chuckle and closed the distance between them even more.

“Well I should probably introduce myself, I’m Jughead.”

It was an interesting name or nickname maybe. Unique yet somehow familiar to her and perfectly suited for him. She liked it. A lot.

“Betty.” She murmured.

She took his hand when he held it out to her, feeling something close to electricity trickle through her veins when he gave her fingers a gentle squeeze.

It was hard to place exactly what Betty felt, what any of this really meant or where it would possibly go, but as they made their down the street together - hand in hand - only one thought crossed her mind;

_Christmas, in all it’s wondrous splendour, had definitely come early this year._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. 
> 
> Please feel free to let me know what you think!! Xx


End file.
